When did Santa over take Father Christmas?

[ChesterGreySideboard]

No judgement on using either but when I was little (70s) Father Christmas was the most common name and Santa was not often heard.
Now it seems to be the other way round.
I’ve heard this at the school I work in and most people on MN seem to use Santa.
Even Santa Claus seems to have gone out of fashion.

Father Christmas sounds posh to me. I'm a 70's born, Scottish and grew up in leafy suburbia (for those who thought it might be class related). Definitely Santa.
Do the English give him whisky or is that just us?

How interesting that the people who are disdainful about the use of ‘Santa Claus’ are ascribing it to creeping Americanism (how ghastly!) rather than that’s just what he’s called, mostly, in Scotland and Ireland.

Rather like the annual handwringing about the ghastly American-ness of celebrating Hallowe’en, which is likewise an Irish and Scottish thing that went to America with Irish and Scottish emigrants.

Christmas is a Christian festival, the clue ie in the name. Midwinter Solstice/Yule is what you are thinking of and it has nothing to do with Christmas/Christian Beliefs.

Whisky or brandy here, weebarra, with a mince pie or a piece of stollen (nicer than Christmas cake in my - I mean Santa's - opinion).

Another NI person here, always been Santa. FC sounds just wrong, and a bit creepy!

I think it's a bit off that the FV tribe assume the growth of Santa to rampant Americanisation, because obviously transitions from other parts of the UK would never have any cultural power or traction....

Maiden, Christmas is a Christianised version of a midwinter festival, but most of what people who are not devout practising Christians mean by ‘Christmas’ — presents, food, lights, bringing green into the house, feasting etc — are definitely not Christian, but a combination of pre-Christian survivals and semi-secular Victorian inventions popularised by Dickens.

We say Father Christmas and couldn’t be any more working class! Grew up in east London.

Not had cause to say it for a long time as the dc are teens now

I loved the sneaky it must be American i am a 70s child and it was always Santa Claus growing up.

It's got to be a class thing or an Americanism are the beliefs generally held by people who can't understand the existence of countries like Scotland and Ireland outside their bubble

The only time I heard Father Christmas growing up was in Enid Blyton type books

Was, and is, Santa Claus

I'm Scottish and always Santa, never Father Christmas.
I think the Scots and Irish took it to America rather than it being an American import to the UK.

(Like guising - which became trick or treating. Always guising in my home.)

It's always been Father Christmas in our house.

Guising used to be tied up with bonfire night im sure it used to be penny for the guy and you dressed up. Sorry to sidetrack the thread

I think people are just getting lazier tbh. Santa has less syllables.

I’ve always said Father Christmas but me and DH have taken to saying Santa to our DS as it’s just easier for him to say.

Father Christmas is probably more of an English thing.

I was born in 60s (Scotland) and it has always been santa for us.

@MrsJayy - nope guising is dressing up with a mask, performing tricks normally around Hallowe'en. If you look it up that's what it will say with reference to Scotland.

There's probably something online to confirm the other meaning too!

He was always FC to us growing up (I'm 40). My kids call him Santa. I don't like it and can't even explain why! Mickey Mouse calls him Santeeee it just grates.

You are right my memory is hazy yes I'm scottish i think we must have combined the 2 in our street because parents couldn't be bothered taking us out twice in one week

Father Christmas is the older version, as he is an incarnation of the (pagan) Green Man

A millennium or more ago, some populations across Europe embraced the Christian version (Santa Claus /St Nicholas) much more avidly, and that was the version exported to the USA. Others (including a fair amount but not all, of the British Isles) kept more of the Yule
traditions. Then it all got overwritten by Prince Albert and a few Victorian authors, and the pagan roots of Father Christmas were rather lost.

Always been Father Christmas here in the southeast, Santa is alien and ahistorical to my ears.

And as an atheist I like Father Christmas's pre-Christian roots.

I’m 34 and it was absolutely not Father Christmas for me and would get my heckles up even at 7 or 8 when grown ups would ask me “what is Father Christmas bringing you?”

It was always Santa. I agree it was mainly older English people who’d refer to FC. Half my family are Scots and Irish (some say Santy). The other half are Asian and don’t do Santa but if they did it would be “Pere Noel”. I think it took my father decades (and a trip to Epcot at Christmas) to realise SC and PN were the same fella!